


Cat's Cradle

by Nightzilla333



Series: Living With Wally [1]
Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: After the events of Mount Massive, F/M, Lisa is amazing, Miles has PTSD but in a different way, Miles is growing into being a GOD TM, The Park boys are adorable, Waylon has PTSD, consensual destruction of property, guess why red is always mentioned... especially various shades of red
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 14:04:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14214768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightzilla333/pseuds/Nightzilla333
Summary: Miles and Waylon meet up after Mount Massive, and then Miles burns down his home.Also, at some point, the Walrider learns how to do Cat's Cradle.





	Cat's Cradle

He could hear them. His family. Moving around in the kitchen, Lisa making breakfast, the boys setting the table and talking about school and their friends and upcoming video games. His TV was on, a rerun of a sitcom playing. He stared, all of the lights on in the room, as the walls started to crawl and the faint tune of _I Want a Girl_ started to filter in over the noise of his family.

It was the sharp knock on the front door that broke Waylon from staring at his TV. His gaze darted over to the door. “Boys!” Lisa called. “Can one of you get it?”

Waylon stared as the front door swung open, his eldest (by three minutes, Dad! It doesn’t even count!) holding it open by the door knob. There was a man standing outside, brown hair pushed out of his face. His jacket and shirt seemed to have holes in them. A shadow seemed flicker around him, tiny black particles breaking away every so often.

Waylon stared, eyebrows nearly hidden in his hairline, and a broken whisper escaped him. “Miles?”

The man at the door gave a small smile. “Hi Waylon. You’re in danger.”

* * *

It was weird to watch the necessary items needed for a road trip to be tossed into a few garbage bags by a man Waylon truly met for the first time three hours ago. It was even weirder considering that they were in one of the boys’ rooms.

Lisa didn’t question it. She didn’t question a strange man appearing at their door, telling them that they were in danger, or the floating black cloud that sometimes took a mimicry shape of a man. She didn’t even blink when the cloud-man cocked his cloud-head to the side in curiosity before darting over the children. Then again, when Waylon showed up back home after hitching a ride with a trucker after what happened with Mount Massive Lisa was all fire and fury. Expected from an ex-military field medic that now teaches an all women self-defence class. She was the one who insisted that Waylon sent the letter in the first place.

_(When she heard about the Groom she wanted to go back in time and destroy him.)_

“Sorry.” Waylon’s voice was soft when he spoke. It’s always soft now.

“For what?”

“For…” Waylon trailed off. “Where do I begin? For sending you that email? For inviting you to that hell hole? For you becoming the Host?” For.” Waylon let out a wet sounding laugh, something that sounded closer to a sob. “For stealing your jeep?”

Miles just gave another small smile, grabbed a stuffed T-Rex and tossing it at Waylon. “You couldn’t have known that shit was going to happen. And I’m glad that you sent the email, because now we’ve planted the seed of doubt into people’s minds. As for stealing my Jeep, well, you needed it more than me. I watched you get stabbed.” Miles smirked and bumped into Waylon. “You’re doing an amazing impression of a fish. It’s not a good look for you.”

“How are you not upset?”

“Well, unless you happen to be the fucker who cut off me fingers…” Miles raised a hand and wiggled the fingers on it. The missing digit was oddity in the wave of movement.

Waylon paled. “Oh god…” He looked like he was going to get sick.

“It was a joke. Waylon. Way, honey, light of my life and keeper of my soul. It was a joke.”  Miles backpedaled quickly. If the Walrider was with him it would be an agitated swarm crawling across his skin.

“Waylon, are you leaving me for another man?” Lisa laughed, interrupting them. She was standing in the doorway. “At least he’s cute.” She gave an exaggerated sigh.

Miles looked over at Lisa and blew a kiss. “I could never compete with you.”

“I know, I’m perfect.”

Waylon sputtered, looking back and forth between Miles and Lisa. “I’m so confused. What’s happening?”

Lisa and Miles shared a look and burst out laughing. “I love confusing people.” Miles gasped out, clutching his stomach. “Good times. Are we ready to go?”

Lisa nodded, and Waylon grabbed the garbage bag full of things. “Yeah, let’s go.”

* * *

 

“Dad! Dad!” Waylon turned his attention to his twins who were speaking in a creepy unison again. They were running as fast as their legs could carry them, and the Walrider floated along behind them, bright red string tangled in his cloud-claw like hands. “Guess what we did?”

“What?” Waylon had a smile on his face.

“We taught Wally Cat’s Cradle!”

“Wally?” Waylon blinked at his sons.

Miles was helping Lisa put things in the bed of the bright red truck (“a mutual acquaintance gave it to me. He’s a pretty flashy bird, but a good guy overall”). He snorted when the Walrider floated over to him and showed him the trick he learnt how to do with the bright red string.

“Neat-o.” Miles said to the Walrider, then snapped his attention over to the boys. “Wait… did you two call the Walrider _Wally_?” He blinked and there was a smile spreading slowly across his face.

“Yeah!” Screamed one of the boys.

“He needed a name.” Said the other, rather sassily. He even put his tiny fists on his hips. “You can’t just keep calling him 'The Walrider'.”

“You two gave a god-like being a nickname!” Miles whisper yelled. The grin was now showing off his teeth. The twins nodded.

“Boys!” Lisa called over from where she was standing. “Say goodbye to your new friend and get into the truck. We got to get going.” Lisa tossed the last bag into the bed of the truck and pulled a tarp over it.

Miles watched with a small smile as the Walrider zipped over to the boys. It picked up a twin in each of his cloud-arms and squeezed. Not hard. Not deadly. It was a hug.

A hug was the first thing that Miles taught the Walrider how to do.

The twins were put back onto the ground. “Bye Mr. Upshur!” They call out in unison. Miles ignored the shiver that ran down his spine and gave them both a wave. Waylon went over to the truck to help the twins climb into the backseat.

Lisa gave Miles a quick hug. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“No… I have to make sure that you can’t be followed. Don’t worry, I know where you’ll be.  It’s circled on the map in the glovebox. I hear Canada is lovely this time of year. Enjoy boarder hopping.”

Lisa gave him another hug. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too, Lisa. Keep an eye on him, okay?”

Lisa nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.

Miles turned to face Waylon. “You take care, okay? Peacock went through a lot of trouble to get you guys a new identity. Stay low.”

Waylon just stared at Miles. “What are you going to do? Like, actually do? Not just what you told my wife.”

“I’m going to burn down your house. Hope everything you want from it is in the truck.” Miles shrugs. “After that, I’m heading to my house. I’ve got to download some ants.”

“That’s not how technology works.”

“Tell that to the thing that lives in my bones. The Walrider shouldn’t exist.”

“Miles…”

“Waylon, go. I’ll catch up with you guys soon. I’ve got some things to take care of.”

Waylon nodded. “I’ll see you soon then?”

Miles nods and shoos him. “Into the truck. I don’t want your kids to see this.”

Waylon gave a wave as he crawled into the driver’s seat. Miles watched with a small smile as the truck pulled away. The smile faded when he looked away.

Waylon watched in the review mirror as the Walrider took control, the swarm crawling over Miles’ body. Miles rose into the air. Then Waylon looked away and focused on the road in front of him.

* * *

 

Miles floated, staring as the flames licked at the now ruined abode that the Park’s once resided in. It was night now, and his Walrider covered body was shadowed in both the smoke and against the dark sky.

He was slowly getting used to his new powers. Along with flying and newfound anger issues (thanks, Billy) he can apparently start fires – and keep them burning – and give himself and others some small electrical shocks. Billy figured out how to email himself, but he hasn’t shared his secrets on how to do that yet. Which is surprising, seeing as their minds are now connected by the nanotechnology that possess the both of them. Granted, Billy died and the Walrider decided to be ants now, so…

The sound of sirens drew Miles attention. It took a lot of effort to screw up the phone lines so that the fire department couldn’t be called and keeping the fire contained. When he found a place to crash he was going to sleep for a week. If the Walrider let him sleep.

But the house was destroyed now, so the firefighters could come. With a splitting migraine and blood pouring out of his nose Miles flew out of the smoke and above the lights in the sky.

* * *

 

A firefighter looked up, and could have sworn he saw an angel.


End file.
